Järvimaa
Järvimaa was a Land or a region in the far north in the western part of the Forodwaith or on the eastern shore of the ice bay of Forochel. Due south and west of the Bleak Mountains stretched a lush, green, fertile region boasting of many sizable freshwater lakes and innumerable lesser meres. The large lakes were deep, cold and clear, while the lesser tended to be shallow (a hundred feet or less in depth) and slightly greener and murkier. Their waters contained many species of edible fish and eels, and were home to innumerable fowl and assorted water-birds. The blue otter, black mink and common beaver were also found here in abundance. Bears of all kinds roamed the lake shores, taking fish where they could and feeding on the wealth of berries and edible plants that grew nearby. Unless surprised or threatened, encounters with these hunters were not usually hostile. The sheer amount of available food rendered competition unnecessary. Water-drakes laired in some of the larger lakes, dining comfortably on the abundant fish and fowl (though they had been known to feast on the occasional fisherman or hunter). The southern portion of the Lakeland formed an open plain of thick grassland and brush. While too cold for hardwoods, the clime allowed for small stands of stunted fir and pine. The Lumimiehet seldom ventured into these tiny woodlands, being unnerved by the bizarre, twisted shapes of the trees. There was, however, no evil magic at work in these forests; the trees were misshapen due to their constant struggle with the north wind and winter gales. The northern reaches of the Lakeland, just east of the Bleak Mountains, were much wetter and boggier than in the south. The entire region drained slowly northwards, towards the Forsaken Sea, and was called the Fen Tundra, a trackless land of marsh and bog. The Lumimiehet seldom ventured beyond its outer borders, and travelers were well-advised to avoid the area entirely. The Lumimiehet of the Lakeland tended to fare better than their neighbors elsewhere in Forodwaith. During the summer months, they could hunt, trap and gather food along the lake shores, fishing the deep waters in small boats. These freshwater boats were more open and canoe-like than the enclosed, saltwater vessels which the Lumimiehet normally used upon the Bay of Forochel. The lakes froze over in winter, and the ice-sheet could reach a thickness of up to three feet. At this time of year, ice-fishing was a common sight along the shores of the lakes. The Lumimiehet had learned a quick and easy method for creating a hole through the ice. They simply heated a large rock in a small fire on the shore, and then placed the heated stone upon the ice. The stone quickly melted through the surface, leaving the fisherman with a hole through which to fish. It sometimes suited a water-drake's evil humor to suddenly stick its head up through one these holes and peer into the startled face of a fisherman. In order to avoid such an encounter, the fishermen always made these holes relatively small. In addition, they took care to fish only where the ice was thick enough to prevent a dragon from forcing its way to the surface. Cautionary tales about these dangers were frequently heard among the Lumimiehet. One such yarn was the Tale of Karvainen, a man who fished on thin ice and fell victim to a water-drake. Category:Forochel Category:Region Category:MERP